|
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Monday said her country has "no issue" hosting Iran's national football team during the FIFA World Cup 2026 after the side shifted its training base from the United States to Mexico amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.
Iran's team will now stay in Tijuana, near the US border, while continuing to play its FIFA World Cup 2026 matches in the United States during the tournament, which will be jointly hosted by the US, Mexico and Canada from June 11 to July 19. Speaking at a press conference, Sheinbaum revealed that FIFA had approached Mexico after the United States expressed reservations about the Iranian team remaining on US territory outside matchdays. "The United States doesn't want the Iranian national team to stay overnight in the United States," Sheinbaum told reporters on Monday, as per ESPN. According to the Mexican president, a FIFA representative then asked Mexican authorities, "Can they stay overnight in Mexico?" "And we said, 'Yes, no problem. We have no issue with that,'" she added. Iran's football federation had earlier announced that the team's planned base in Tucson, Arizona, had been shifted to Tijuana due to the prevailing situation involving Iran, the United States and Israel. FIFA later confirmed the change in the team's base camp arrangements. Despite the relocation, Iran will still play all three of its group-stage matches in the United States. The Asian side will face New Zealand in Inglewood, California, on June 15, Belgium on June 21 at the same venue, and Egypt in Seattle on June 26. Sheinbaum said Mexico was continuing to work closely with FIFA to finalise operational and logistical arrangements ahead of the tournament. The FIFA World Cup 2026 will be the first edition of the tournament to feature 48 teams and will be staged across the United States, Mexico and Canada. (ANI)
|
